Holy Foreshadow Batman

I'm so glad they gave me free HBO for a few months this winter. I had heard of this movie, but only that Natalie Portmann shaved her head and that the main character wore a mask and it was distracting, so it never made it to my "to watch" list.
What a mistake! I happened to settle on it this movie in a slow TV night and was mesmerized, initially by the visuals and more so by the story. Released in 2005, it is remarkable what a commentary this provides on the current state of America. Besides being a compelling allegory for our own times , I promise the entertainment factor is not drowned out by preachiness.

Portmann is at her best as Evey, the daughter of dead political dissidents, who is trying to find her way in an ever more religiously based totalitarian society. She inadvertently gets hooked up with a rebel with a mysterious background who is always masked. This association puts her on the run from the law and on a journey to a higher truth.

Hugo Weaving is brilliant as V, the masked vigilante trying to liberate the soul of a nation. While the costuming was a complaint of some critics, I think the anonymity of the character adds to his appeal and message.

There are also standout performances by Stephen Rea as a police detective trying to rediscover the integrity he has almost lost and Tim-Pigott Smith as the Dick Cheney like soulless government leader.

I don't want to go too deeply into the plot as I think you will enjoy this movie more if you follow the twists and turns as they occur. Suffice it to say that V is definitely not a cookie cutter hero and we learn that our heroes can be complicated people in complicated times.

This movie is enjoyable on many levels, it works pretty well as a straight forward action flick, even if the political leanings aren't ones you share. Remember this was written by the same folks who brought us the Matrix, so you can assume the visuals are remarkable, and they are. On the deeper level, there is an obvious allegory to our own times and the dangers we face when good people do nothing. And lastly there are very personal stories to relate to with a number of characters.

V is one of my favorite movies of recent years, even if it made me a little nervous. Remember as a main character says, "People should not be afraid of the governments, governments should be afraid of their people."